Hands down, this is the BEST coconut cake recipe you will EVER come across.
During my years upon this earth, I have made the important discovery that coconut is a very divisive flavor.
As a coconut lover (some may say fanatic), I can’t fathom how anyone could despise this magical ingredient. One of my favorite treats growing up was a coconut FrozFruit popsicle that I would get from the snack bar at the town lake. That cool, creamy taste and tropical smell is always a welcome reminder of sun, sand, and summertime, especially in the middle of a harsh winter. I will try anything coconut flavored or scented at least once.
However, I know many (weird) people (jk. kinda.) who absolutely loath coconut. I’m not sure if it’s the taste, the scent, or the texture, or a combination of all three that triggers the haters, but I know that if I bring a coconut cake into work, only about half the people in the office will eat it. (I’m not bothered. More for me.)
I’ve tried making numerous coconut cakes over the years, and while they’ve ranged wildly from “very nice” to “disgusting,” most have just been bland. I feel like most coconut cake recipes consist of vanilla cake with vanilla frosting, using only sweetened coconut flakes for decoration, making the cake look temptingly like a giant snowball. While the coconut flakes do add some coconut flavor, I’ve always felt that the majority of these cakes lack that signature coconut taste.
Then, I read The Coincidence of Coconut Cake by Amy E. Reichert. And my coconut-loving life was forever changed.
This novel is a food lover’s delight, as its main characters are a chef and a food critic. They explore the city of Milwaukee together, tasting its culinary delights and falling in love with one another, resulting in a very nice little romance/comedy of errors. I really enjoyed this book, but I read it pre-blog, so I’m not doing a full review here. But, you should know it’s a sweet story (pardon the pun!) and a fun read, particularly due to all its mouthwatering descriptions of food. (Side note: my favorite of Reichert’s novels is her third, The Simplicity of Cider.)
What really stood out for me in The Coincidence of Coconut Cake was, as one might expect, the titular dessert itself. The two main characters have a meet-cute (although they don’t really know it at the time) involving this cake, which is so overwhelmingly scented with vanilla and coconut that the smell lingers in the air even after it is around the corner. It’s then referenced several times before the story comes to a close, so by the end of the novel, you are CRAVING a slice of this freakin’ cake. Then, you are sad because you have no idea how to go about making such a treat for yourself.
Rest assured, dear reader, that Reichert does not leave you bereft. I was delighted to find that the recipe for THE coconut cake is at the end of the book!
*throws shredded coconut in the air like confetti*
It’s written in main character Lou’s voice (#method), and Lou tells us that it’s her grandmother Luella’s recipe.
And, finally, the secret of what makes this particular coconut cake so darn irresistible is revealed — it contains coconut cream, coconut milk, and coconut extract, not only in the batter, but in the icing as well! And, it uses toasted coconut flakes to cover the outside.
As a result, the coconut flavor of this cake is unreal. The first time I made it, I was like, THIS. THIS is the coconut cake I’ve been looking for all my life. And then I hugged it.
No, not really. But I did eat many fingerfuls of leftover batter and icing as I was cleaning up the dishes. For reals, I could eat the icing just by itself. But, y’know, cake isn’t too shabby a vehicle for icing, so I still tend to make both components of the recipe.
I am also proud to say (well, proud on behalf of Grandma Luella, I guess) that this coconut cake recipe has done the impossible — it’s turned coconut haters into cococut LOVERS. *throws more shredded coconut*
I made this cake for Easter one year, and when I told our guests what I would be serving, my enthusiasm was met with a very lackluster response; apparently, I was presenting a coconut cake to people who didn’t much like coconut.
Luckily, they still decided to show up for Easter, and, being the good folks they are, they dutifully tried the cake I set before them — and they devoured it. This cake is now requested each Easter, and at any other time of the year when we get together. RESULT.
I do recommend that you read The Coincidence of Coconut Cake, but in case you’re short on time and are craving a piece of this coconut cake NOW, you’re in luck: Grandma Luella’s Coconut Cake recipe is helpfully available online. I follow the recipe instructions exactly, so you should, too, but I have my own tips to share:
–you can use the same cans of coconut cream and coconut milk in both the cake batter and the icing, so be sure to keep leftovers handy after you make the cake batter.
–I made cupcakes instead of a cake, and I ended up with 15 cupcakes. I baked them for around 24-25 minutes. Keep your eye on them and do toothpick tests as needed. As Lou says, pull them from the oven when they still have a few crumbs left on the toothpick. I once let mine go a little longer than I should have, and while they were still tasty, they were a tad dry. You definitely want these cakes to be moist.
–I used sweetened coconut flakes for the topping, and I toasted them in a pan on the stove, as Lou also says she does.
–spend the extra recommended time whipping the icing, as it makes it wonderfully fluffy and airy, and very easy to spread on the cake or cupcakes.
I look foward to hearing how many of you create some Coconut Converts after feeding this coconut cake to people. Be sure to share below!
Grandma Luella’s Coconut Cake recipe from The Coincidence of Coconut Cake: https://www.tipsonlifeandlove.com/recipes-2/grandma-luellas-coconut-cake-recipe
